The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-08-27
4 DREARY COUNTRY.

A DREARY COUNTRY.
Interesting Account Of the H.dsea nay
Region and Its Inhabltaats.
Those who have never seen life IS it
exists among the inhabitants Of the
Hudson Bay country would be aston
ished at the extent of civilization among
a class of people generally supposed to
be savages, as well as ut the awful
grandeur of the scenery and forbidding
aspect of the graveyard coasts along the
shores of that northern sea. In all the
uninhabitable region of North America
there is nowhere to be found more
bleak, desolate. or dreary waste than
that between Ungava Bay, of the coast
of Labrador on the east, and Fort
Churchill, on the west and southern part
of Hudson Bay proper. Although little
is known yet regarding this weird and
frozen region, it has had . growth
within the last half century which has
been something phenomenal, and having
been measured according to its needs
by the God of Nature has gone on adj
vancing from age to age, until at the
present time. not alone the more fertile
islands, but the extent of land back
from the coast on either side, is thickly
populated by people who hunt and
fish and talk and chatter even among
the misery and restitution which
life in region of perpetual frost
and snow must bring. Hudson Bay
itself is really m island sea, extending
between latitude sic and 64e north.
and longitude ITO and 95o west, and
while about 1000 miles long at its
greatest distance, is only about 600
miles in breadth, covering an area of
over 500, 900 square miles. 1t is navig-
able only for about three months in the
year-from the middle of June to the
middle of Septcmber-and for the re-
mainder of the year is filed with drift
ice. which renders navigation, even for
a short distance, an absolute impossi-
billy. The eastern coasts Of the bay
are sights to be admired, cliff rising in
many cases to a height of from 200 to
400 feet abruptly from the waters edge,
and, being composed of . glacier-like
substance which. being ever coated
with ice and frozen snow, shine in the
sunlight until it is almost impossible to
look at them for any length of time.
The residents of this section are not
properly Esquimaux, but cross be-
tween this race and the French and
Indians, who have come in for the pur-
pose Of hunting and fishing. and finally
settled down among the natives to live
as they do and share with them in the
privations which no other life affords. On
an average, in the summer months, the
thermometer stands at about As Q above,
while the temperature in the winter
runs as low as 600 below zero and will
average about $50 below. Fish are
scarce and can be caught only in the
rivers, of which on the east there is
only the Great Whale. while on the
west there are the Hayes, Nelson,
Churchill, Moore, Albany, Weeknish,
Main and Abbitibbe. Seal abound in
plenty, but are extremely shy and hard
for the natives to get at, while porpoise
and walrus are equally difacult to get
hold of. Were it not for the small fur
bearing animals which are about the
shores the poor half-breeds would stand
. very good chance Of perishing by
hunger, as they can expect nothing in
the way of favors from the Hudson Bay
Company's stores, few Of which arc
along the coast. The natives live in
little villages composed Of from fifty to
one hundred rude huts. Each commu-
nifty has its place OF worship and its
church burial ground, which is conse-
Grated by the Moravian missionaries. 4
few of whom are to be found wander
ing about from village to village, from
the eastern extent of the settle
ments down as far as Fort Churchill
ON the west. These faithful, beloved
men expect no recompenss for
their services, and If they did they
wouldn't get it, for there il not in
all the country such thing as money,
the only exchange being in fish. oil or
furs. Whenever one Of tribe dies the
rest of his family-meaning by that the
entire settlement-stop work for the
day and prepare to bury him. II the
settlement possesses such thing as Q
dinner bell, and the most of them do.
the oldest man in the village goes about
from hut to hut and rings the bell in
front of each until the occupants come
out both big and little, and, falling
into line, march after him. When the
circuit has been made. and big and little
are all collected, march is made for
the kirote. as it is called. the village
church, which consists Of about an acre